Lantern-slide mat



(No Model.)

v W. H. OLMSTED.

LANTERN SLIDE MAT.

o.574,214. Patented Dec. 29,1896.

I11LE -3- WiTNESSES: Wflfg J INVENTOR JMZW Y biyw/ W%LE.Y

UNITED STATES PATE T OFFICE.

\VILL H. OLMSTED, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

LANTERN-SLIDE MAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 574,214, dated December 29, 1896. Application filed December 14, 1895. Serial No. 572,213. (No model.)

To all whont t't may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILL H. OLMsTED, a citizen of the United States, residing at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Lantern-Slide Mat; and I do hereby declare that the following, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention.

Myinvention isa new and improved mat for photographic slides used in magic lanterns and stereopticons. Such photographs are transferred from the negative onto the glass and are usually of some standardsize. By the rules of the American Lantern Slide Interchange,largely followed in this coun try, the slide is three and one-fourth by four inches, and the picture on the slide, seen through the mat-opening, two and three-fourths by three inches at most, the picture being set perpendicular to the longer sides. Within this outside limit the photograph exposed on theslide may be of any desired size, the minim um limit being controlled by the necessity of S110 wing a good clear picture. The photograph having been printed on the glass slide, a piece of opaque paper called the mat ,is provided, through the central portion of which an opening is cut of the size of the picture or portion of the photograph which it is desiredto exhibit. This mat is then secured on the slide, the picture showing through the opening, the mat covering the slide around itand completely cutting off the rays of light, except through the opening.

My improved mat is made of opaque paper or other material, and is printed on its face with a rectangle of the maximum size of the pictures to be exhibited, having a series of parallel marginal lines parallel to each margin, and also a number of concentric circles centered on the center of the parallelogram. The artist having decided on the size of his picture, or the portion to be exposed to view, in case he desires to select a small portion out of the whole photograph, cuts out of the mat an opening corresponding in size and position with the View to be shown.

With my novel mat the position of the desired opening is easily fixed and easily cut out by following along the lines bounding the desired space with a sharp knife. The mat is then secured on the slide, commonly being remat, toward the corners of the rectangle, de-

tached curves, which mark the corners to be cut when an opening with curved corners is desired, and also to print on one corner of the margin a conspicuous mark or thumbmark indicating the position in which the slide is to be inserted into the slide-carrier and into the lantern.

My invention will be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same figures refer to the same parts in both the views.

Figure I shows my full-size complete mat. Fig. II shows a lantern-slide to which my mat has been applied in the position in which it is inserted into the lantern.

1 indicates the mat, of any convenient size, preferably of the size of the slide to which it is to be secured.

2 is the central portion or rectangle, of convenient size; for instance, two and threefourths by three inches, to conform to the rules of the American Lantern Slide Interchange, as aforesaid. Parallelrespectively to its sides 3, 4, 5, and 6 are printed the four systems of parallel lines 7 7 7, 8 8 8, 9 9 9, and 1010 10. As many of these lines as may be desirable are printed in each system, and they are arranged at anydesirable distance'apart. substantially as shown in Fig. I. It will be evident that the two series of lines 9 9 9 and 10 101.0 out the other two series 7 7 7 and 8 8 8 at right angles.

The mat is also printed with a series of concentric circles 11 11 11 centered on the center of the mat, of any desired number and distance apart. Toward each corner of the rectangle are printed the detached curves 12 12 12, which mark the line to be followed in cutting out the mat when a picture in the form of a parallelogram with rounded'corners is desired. It is evident that any convenient number of marginal lines, circles, and cornercurves may be printed on the mat.

The blank space 20 may be left as here shown, or additional lines may be added toward the center, so that the series 7 7 and8 8,

position in which the slides. are always ininverted, it of course being reversed by the f) 9 and 10 10 run into each other, or the blank l space be much reduced in size.

On the margin at the lower righ t-hand corner, as shownjn Fig. I, I print a conspicuous mark 13,01 thumb-mark, which indicates the corner at which the slide is naturally held by the operator when inserted into the slidecarrier or lantern. This is shown in Fi II, where 14: indicates the lantern, 15 the groove into which the slide 16 is being inserted, having its face covered with the printed mat 1, the picture 17 appearing in substantially the center of the mat, from which a portion has been cut away. \Vhen it is desired to exhibit a picture or portion of a picture not in the center, a corresponding opening not in the center may be easily cut with my mat.

The thu nib-mark here appears at the upper right-hand corner of the slide, this being the serted into the lantern, the picture 17 being rays passing through it and being thrown on the screen in its upright position. The th umbmark should be conspicuous, as it marks the position in which the slide must be held to be properly inserted in the lantern and as the room in which the lantern is operated is dimly lighted.

I prefer to add at the top of the mat the word Title and dotted line or lines 18 18, l on which may be inscribed the name or description of the photograph. At the bottom a line or lines 19 19, for the name of the photographer, memorandums, (be. ,are also added.

My peculiar mat will commonly be printed in black on white, but it may be printed in any other color, or, if desired, the lines and thumb-mark in white on a black or dark background.

The essence of my invention is an opaque mat having a central portion or rectangle printed with straight and curved lines, by

means of which the opening of any desired form and position is easily placed and cut.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is-

1. A lantern-slide mat, consisting of a rectangular sheet of opaque material having a series of lines crossin g each other at right angles and parallel with the edges of the sheet, whereby a guide for cutting rectangular openings is formed, and a series of concentric circular lines marked on said surface and cen tered on the center of the sheet, to form a guide for cutting circular openings, or in conjunction with the rectangular lines to form a guide for cutting oval openings or openings with rounded corners, substantially as specifled.

2. A lantern-slide mat, consisting of a rectangular sheet of opaque material having a series of lines crossing each other at right an gles and parallel with the edges of the sheet, whereby a guide for cutting rectangular opcnings is formed, a series of concentric circular lines marked on said surface and centered on the center of the sheet, to form a guide for cutting circular openings, or in conjunction with the rectangular lines to form a guide for cutting oval openings or openings with rounded corners, and a conspicuous thumb-mark at or near one of its corners, to indicate the position in which the slide is to be inserted in the lantern, all substantially as specified.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of two attesting witnesses, at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, this 9th day of December, 1895.

\VILL II. OLMSTICD.

'Witnesses:

CONRAD SCI-IOENECK, ALFRED WILKINSON. 

